Hello from Skagway, Alaska! Skagway sits on the Taiya Inlet of Lynn Canal in the panhandle of Alaska. Nine hundred twenty people live in the town and that number grows to thousands during the summer months because of the cruise ship industry. The beautiful Alaskan fiords run along the panhandle and there are several stops for those cruise ships. Our RV site is owned by the city of Skagway and is located at the harbor area.
A view out the front window of our coach.
There are usually three ships in port when we wake up in the morning. They leave in the evening making Skagway a city for day trips only.
We spent four nights in Skagway. One of our tours was a ferry trip to Juneau, the capital of Alaska. The only way to get to Juneau is by plane or boat. There are no roads into the city. Our trip took all day and we were amazed at the wildlife we say along the way.
We saw at least 50 eagles, the most we have seen on the entire trip.
The skipper of the ferry piloting us through the fiords.
Seal
Gorgeous waterfalls thundering down from glacier fed rivers.
A sea lion rookery
Juneau was founded in the 1880's by Joe Juneau, an early gold rusher, who with the help of the Alaskan natives, found gold in the area.
Planes and boats in the large harbor at Juneau.
Looking up the hill to the government buildings.
Juneau Harbor
Juneau is a cruise ship stop.
After spending several hours in the city, we took a short ride to Mendenhall Glacier. This is one of the largest glaciers that we have seen on the trip.
Our return trip had our ferry picking up passengers (fishermen) from commercial boats. They were dropped off at Haines Point, which is 15 nautical miles from Skagway, but over 150 driving miles away.
Picking up a passenger
The next day we took a train trip on the historic White Pass and Yukon Route narrow gauge railroad. Early visionaries in Skagway determined that this route would be of great benefit reaching the interior of Alaska. The trains have been in operation since they were first used in 1898. The WP & YR was declared an International Civil Engineering Landmark (an honor shared with the Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty and the Panama Canal) in 1994. Today it is used by the tourist market.
Incredible scenery along the way.
Roger
Trestle Bridges
Narrow gauge train tracks
The American/Canadian border
Early gold rushers walked the narrow trail near the train tracks.
Tomorrow we start our trip back to the lower 48! Our route will take us through stops in the Yukon Territory and British Columbia. At this point we are at least 11 days and 1600 miles away from the border crossing.
Thank you for checking in with us as we continue on this incredible adventure.
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